I designed the Big Dogtrot as a 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath dogtrot home that spreads 2,219 square feet across three stories with two dogtrot-style screened porches and an optional walkout basement. This is the plan for the buyer who loves the traditional dogtrot layout where open breezeways connect living wings, and wants a modern home built around that timeless idea.

The main level holds 2,009 square feet with a vaulted family room and nine-foot ceilings throughout. The open layout flows between living, kitchen, and dining, with the dogtrot screened porches serving as the social heart of the home. Upstairs, a 210 square foot loft opens to the living space below for a connected, airy feel. The optional lower level at 1,897 square feet adds guest bedrooms, a recreation room, game room, an additional master suite, and dedicated lake storage. Ten-foot ceilings in the walkout basement keep the lower level feeling as finished as the main floor.

Decks, dogtrot porches, covered porches, a front porch, a patio, a covered patio, and a screened porch give you outdoor living on every level and in every direction. At 77 feet 6 inches wide by 48 feet deep on a sloping lot, this plan makes the most of hillside terrain. The dogtrot design is not just a style choice. It is a climate strategy that channels breezes through the home naturally. This is southern building tradition at its most thoughtful.

The Big Dogtrot plan is available for $1,495. For more dogtrot designs, see Diana’s Dog Trot, Camp Creek Cabin, Camp Stone, and Chimney Top.